Flanders Memorial Garden soil carried through London in procession

'Sacred' soil from 70 World War One battlefields in Flanders was carried through London in procession on Saturday to the site of the new Memorial Garden at The Guards Museum.

A computer generated image of the Memorial Garden

The procession route went from Tooley Street near London Bridge station through the City of London, past St Paul’s Cathedral, along The Strand, through Horse Guard’s Parade and across Whitehall and down The Mall past St James’s Park to Wellington Barracks.

The soil was collected by British and Belgian schoolchildren and put into 70 sandbags before being gathered together at special Remembrance Day event in Ypres, Belgium, to mark the beginning of its journey.

It arrived in London on the Belgian Navy frigate Louisa Marie on Friday and was carried on a gun carriage drawn by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

The Guards Museum project is costing £700,000, paid for by public donations, corporate sponsors and the Government of Flanders. The garden is being supported by the Victoria BID. Text FLAN14 £10 to 70070 to donate.

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